Late start to school frustrates SK parents

September 2, 2011

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Christine Girous said her 5 year old daughter was excited for the first day of school and ready to start kindergarten. But, after South Kingstown Schools have postponed the start of school from Aug. 30 to Aug. 31 and then to Sept. 6, parents and their children are beginning to get a little stir crazy.

After Tropical Storm Irene hit Rhode Island last Sunday, it knocked down trees and power lines, leavings thousands without power. As a result of the storm's aftermath, South Kingstown Schools, along with the Prout School have postponed the first day of school to provide safe transportation to students. Narragansett Schools, however, opened up Wednesday, being only postponed one day.

“We advised the school department on Tuesday that we had a number of roads closed based on trees down and low hanging wires,” South Kingstown Town Manager Stephen A. Alfred said. “Our concern was that there maybe be a conflict with the height of the buses with low hanging wires and that's the action they took.”

At the Village Green playground in Peace Dale, parents took their kid to play when their would normally be in school.

“They're ready to go back to school. I think they're all ready. It's a never ending summer for these kids,” Beth Reitman said.

“They were looking forward to school. They're a little disappointed each day they cancel it,” Joyce Rossi said.

“I'm frustrated. We came back from vacation early because of school,” Christine Girous said.

Girous' daughter is starting kindergarten this year and she was excited for her very first day of school, but now after the cancelations, the excitement is not what it was.

“She was so excited for the first day of school and going to kindergarten. We were preparing her to go to school. It's hard to sell it to a five year old why she's not going back to school yet. When we finally found out she's going back Tuesday, it was drawn out,” Girous said.

“It's hard to believe that Narragansett schools are in session. I'm frustrated as a parent as to why they made that decision to hold back until Tuesday. We're not starting out on a good foot with going back to school and makeup days,” Girous said.

For more information, pick up a copy of today's The Narragansett Times.